Making a Geri-Anarchist Ghost Story – The Hempen Jig

'Grand Gesture has a playful, punk DIY ethic – we embrace messy, makeshift and real human connection.'

Ageism is rife on screen. The film industry has spent decades pushing us into the background. If older actors are cast at all, they are usually reduced to lazy stereotypes or frail caricatures.

The answer is to take control of our own stories and cast ourselves in the leading roles!

This is something I do as a member of Grand Gesture, a collective of older dance artists producing and performing our own theatrical works. We refuse to bow out gracefully. Instead, we use movement and drama to demand visibility.

The birth of a “Geri-Anarchist” ghost story

Our latest project, The Hempen Jig, is a light-hearted horror short. The plot follows a group of cosplaying pirates who accidentally summon a vengeful ghost from the murky depths of the Thames.

The project sparked to life during the filming of Geri-Anarchists, a documentary about our collective directed by filmmaker Anders Larsson. While collaborating on that documentary, Anders and I discovered a mutual passion for the horror genre. We asked ourselves: Why not combine dance with a spooky, camp horror narrative?

Filming in Wapping.

Merging local history with digital innovation

I live in historic, riverside Wapping in East London, an area steeped in a dark maritime past. It’s the place where infamous pirate Captain William Kidd was hanged at Execution Dock in 1701. Local legend says his ghost still haunts the Thames foreshore at low tide. His story became the perfect anchor for our plot.

Making an independent film with zero budget requires a mix of old-school grit, imagination, and modern digital tools:

· Costumes and props: Handcrafted with recycled materials and modified charity shop finds.

· Cast: A passionate crew of talented, willing, older friends acting and dancing.

· Visuals: Instead of an expensive visual effects (VFX) studio, Anders used generative AI tools to craft the supernatural imagery, blending our authentic physical performances with digital backgrounds.

Grand Gesture has a playful, punk DIY ethic – we embrace messy, makeshift and real human connection. So, I was initially wary of using AI in the film. But for this story it made sense to use Anders’ AI wizardry for some of the imagery that would have been impossible for us to achieve otherwise.

Watch the short film now

You can watch the full, haunting tale of The Hempen Jig on YouTube.

We also have an Official Hempen Jig Website, where you can dive deeper into the history of Captain Kidd, view behind-the-scenes photos and meet our senior cast and crew.

Silver screen: why we should act like pirates

I hope our film inspires you to support older indie filmmakers and to make some artistic mischief of your own. Pirates don’t ask for permission; they do what they want. As older creatives, we need to adopt that exact same energy.

Whatever your age, it’s never too late to pick up a cutlass and put on a show—not even for a 300-year-old pirate ghost.